Behind the Scenes: Meg Ryan

Fresh beginnings: Although she's best known for playing the girl-next-door Meg's recent career choices reflect her move away from her romantic-comedy image. So it seems only natural that she'd shed her trademark short, wavy blonde locks, and rock a new hairstyle, too. Arriving at Siren Studios in West Los Angeles for the 10:30am shoot (a mystery script in hand), the five-foot-eight star asked that her quite long hair be straightened. To reflect her new style, Meg had a new headshot taken by photographer Mark Liddell before leaving that day.

We'll have what she's having: It may be more than 20 years after her career took off in 1982 with the role of Betsy Stewart on As the World Turns, but Meg looks as fit and fabulous as ever. "She has the most amazing body," says Lori Berger, REDBOOK's Special Projects Director. "It's clear she works out or does something to keep in such fantastic shape."

Relaxing rhythms: At the shoot Meg's down-to-earth character was mirrored in the tunes that filled the studio. Moving between contemporary R&B and electronica, to alternative rock and pop, artists like Belle and Sebastian, India Arie, Corinne Bailey Rae, and the Cowboy Junkies provided the sounds of the day.

Pretty with personality: Meg was wearing a simple pair of Levis and a suede jacket when she got to the studios, but by the time the shoot was over she had tried on everything from Versace and Catherine Malandrino to Carlos Miele and Narcisso Rodriguez. Ever the epitome of professionalism and friendliness, Meg didn't leave until she had thanked the entire crew and shaken everyone's hand.

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Gorgeous flowers, pricey jewelry, and champagne -- sounds like a Hollywood after-party, right? Not this time! It was actually REDBOOK's photo shoot for the May 2007 cover featuring Mary J. Blige, the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" herself...

Setting the scene: When Mary arrived for the shoot at Smashbox studios in Los Angeles, the singer didn't just bring her sexy self but some cool tunes as well. From their 11am start to the 6pm finish, Mary and the crew enjoyed her mix of great 70s R&B. "There's nothing better than to hear 'Give Me the Night' by George Benson," said Mary. "It's those old songs that inspire me." Of course, we'd expect nothing less than the best music taste from the artist who received the most Grammy nominations this year-and went home with three wins.

Fashion remix: Showing up in D&G jeans and, says REDBOOK photo director Bruce Perez, a "cool military-style shirt," Mary soon ditched the casual look in favor of Chanel. Thanks to a representative of the famed fashion powerhouse who brought a briefcase full of expensive -- and breathtaking -- jewelry, Mary got to try on numerous glittering baubles. She also slipped on designs from Versace, YSL, and Prada. Mary sometimes stepped out of her clothing comfort zone, but still had fun with the fashions. "She was very professional," says Bruce. "She tried on some clothes that were more preppy than her usual style but always gave them a chance and was willing to play around with the looks."

Congrats are in order!: All that searching for the right look paid off in more ways than one; thanks to the shoot, Mary found a fabulous dress to wear to wear to another award show that week. Mary went home with a few other goodies as well. Since the shoot took place the day after she picked up three Grammys (for Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Female Vocal Performance for "Be Without You") the studio was soon filled with gifts and tokens sent to congratulate the sexy siren. REDBOOK gave Mary a bottle of champagne to congratulate her on her wins. And photographer Matthew Rolston, who shot the cover, gave her a stunning arrangement of white flowers in a modern Jonathan Adler-inspired vase. Luckily, Mary's husband music producer Kendu Isaacs was there to help her take everything home.

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For a woman who's spent the year shooting a hit NBC-sitcom (My Name is Earl) and making appearances on Saturday Night Live and VH1 Rock Honors, a day off should come as a very welcome thing-especially when she's seven-months pregnant. Not so for Jaime Pressly. At the photo shoot for REDBOOK's May 2007 cover, it was clear that downtime was the last thing on this actress's mind...

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Low-key event: It was technically Jaime's day off, but instead of hitting the snooze alarm or camping out on the couch, the actress headed to REDBOOK's photo shoot to take her place as one of our three cover celebs for the May 2007 issue. Arriving for the 9:30 am shoot at 5th and Sunset Studios, the pretty and pregnant Jaime--who plays Joy, the long-suffering ex-wife of Earl (Jason Lee) on My Name is Earl -- was dressed casually in black jeans and a grey hoodie. Engaged to DJ Eric Cubiche, the couple is expecting their first child, a boy, this May on Mother's Day.

Picture perfect: Thanks to Jaime's former days as a model (she got her start when she was just 14!), the crew was able to get the perfect cover shot in a record time of three hours. "Jaime was really glowing and she knew how to work both the dresses and her pregnant body," says Special Projects Director Lori Berger. Outfitted in maternity dresses from BCBG-a few of which she fell in love with during the shoot-Jaime occasionally had trouble posing. "We wanted to have her slightly leaning on a white sofa for one photo," says Lori, "but it was hard for her to find a comfortable position with her belly." Other than that, and despite Jaime's own jokes that her pregnancy had left her "big and immoveable," the shoot easily showcased her natural grace and poise. Recalls Lori, "She was one of the most beautiful and sexy pregnant women I have seen in a long time."

Lunch for two: Eating well during pregnancy is a must, which is why we're glad that both Jaime and Baby Dezi (Jaime and Eric are both I Love Lucy fans; for the full story on how they chose the baby's name, check out the May issue) enjoyed some of the sliced steak that was served for lunch. Also on the menu? Orecchiette pasta served with tomatoes and olive oil.

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A natural mom: Both during and in-between posing for shots, the soon-to-be-mother constantly cradled and rubbed her big belly. "It was easy to tell how much love she had for the baby and how excited she was," Lori adds.